Folding-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H A. MANN, Jr FOLDING MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

ANDREW BIRANANI4 PHOTO-LITHQWASHINGTDN C j v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. A. MANN, Jr.

FOLDING MACHINE. i l

Patented Nov. Z6, 1895.

(No Model.) 'A

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HENRY A. MANN, JR., OF ALBANY, NEV YORK.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,377, dated November 26, 1895.

Application filed October 9, 1894. Serial No. 525,371. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. MANN, J r., of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Book-Folding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved machine for simultaneously folding several sheets of paper .or sheets of paper and other flexible material in a single fold longitudinally, so that said sheets can form pages of books or complete pamphlets; and the object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and effective machine that can be operated by a person having but little experience in the art of book-folding. This object I attain by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, being herein referred to, formV part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my folding-machine with parts of the upper framing broken away to expose underlying parts Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the same at the irregular line X X; Fig. 3, a transverse section at the line Y Y; Fig. at, a transverse section at the line Z Z; Fig. 5, an enlarged detail of an adjustable bearing for the driving-shaft; Fig. G, an enlarged vertical section of part of the creasing mechanism; Fig. 7, a detached side elevation of the train of gearing for imparting motion to various parts of the machine, and Fig. 8 a detached end elevationV of the trough or receiver for the folded work.

As represented in the drawings, A designates the table of the machine, which is supported by the frames B and C and by the legs 1. The frame B carries on its upper partlthe bearings 2 for vthe driving-shaft D of the machine, and said bearings, as shown in Fig. 5, are adjustable vertically by means of a setl bolt 3 and a supporting-spring 4, which are ceive motion from any suitable motive power. Secured to the shaft D is a spur-wheel E, by which motion is imparted to a pinion F on the shaft 6, which in its turn imparts motion to other parts of the machine.

G is a disk which is secured to the shaft D and is provided with a V-shaped peripheral edge, which forms a preliminary crease in the thicknesses of the paper and other material which is subjected to its action to mark the line of the fold which said paper or material is to receive.

H is a disk which is secured to the shaft 6 directly under the disk G and is provided with a V-shaped circumferential groove 8,

I is anv idler, which is fitted to revolve on a stud 9 and which meshes in gear with a pinion J, that is secured to a shaft 10, which carries alower feed-roller11. Said shaft isjournaled in Vbearings 12, and its outer end is provided with a gear-wheel-13, which meshes into a like wheel 14, secured to a shaft 15, which is j ournaled in bearings 16, that are vertically adjustable by the same means hereinbefore described in respect to the bearings 2 and for the same purpose. The shaft 15 is provided with a feed-roller 17, whose peripheral speed should be the same as that of the feed-roller 11., with which it coacts to feed the material to pass between the disks G and H. K is anadjustable guide that is arranged on the table A to guide the sheets of paper and other material to the feed-rollers 11 and 17, and said guide is made adjustable in respect to the center line of the table A, so that the machine can be adapted to folding sheets of different widths and so that the center line of said sheets will range in line with theV V- shaped edge of the disk G.

L is an adjustable blade that ranges in line with the V-shaped edgeof the disk G, so as to engage in the crease Vformed in the sheets by said disk. Said blade is made vertically ad- IOO justable in respect to the table A, by means of slotted openings f'or'rhed in said blade, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, so as to adjust the blade to the required height from the table to suit the number and thicknesses of the sheets which are to compose a book. The blade Lis supported by yokes 18, which form the 'upper part of the frame C, and the bolts that secure together the upper ends of said yokes pass through the slotted openings in the blade L.

M is a longitudinal shaft that is journaled in a bracket 19, secured to the frame B, and in a bracket 20, adj ustably attachedto the frame C. The shaft M is provided with a bevelgear 2l, that meshes into a bevel-gear 22, secured to the shaft 6, whereby motion is iinparted to the shaftM,and the latter is also provided with a bevel-gear 2:3, 'that meshes into gear with abevelLwheel 24, secured to a vertical shaft 25, that is journaled in an adjustable bracket 20, carried b y a sleeve 27 on the frame 0. A like bracket 281s attached in the saine manner to the frame f'C onth'e 'opposite side of the center line of 'the table A and at an equal distance from the center line that the bracket 2O is placed. A vertical shaft 29 is j ournaled in the bracket 28, and the lower end of the shafts 25 and 29 are provided with gear-wheels 30, which mesh into gear with each other, and, being alike, cause the shafts 25 and 29 to rotate at the same rate of speed; The upper ends of the shafts 25 and 29 are each provided with a pressing-wheel 31, arranged to take against the opposite sides 'of the back edge of a book which has received its preliminary creasing by the 'disks G and l I-l and press the parts closely. The pressingwheels 31, in addition to their function of pressing the sheets against the sides of the blade L, aid in feeding said sheets toward the rearmost end of the machine. The br'ackL ets 20 and 28 are each provided with adjustingescre'ws 32 for the purpose of adjusting the pressing wheels 31 to a required distance apart to suit the thicknesses of the books to be folded.

N is a pair of Aadjustable guides or preliminary folders, which are arranged between the disks G and H and pressing-wheels 3l. They curve outwardly to leave a wide throat toward the disks G and Il and form a narrow channel near 4the pressing-wheels 31, and starting from a sharp edge at their foremost ends they curve upwardly toward their terminals in such manner that they will turn the paper up at each side of the blade L, so that when the book reaches the pressing-wheels 31 it will be in condition to receive the pressure of said wheels to complete the work. An inclined guide O, which ranges in line with the blade L, is arranged on the table A, beyond the' pressingwheels 3l, to guide the books into a receptacle P, arranged to receive the folded books, and to adapt said receptacle for books of diifer ent widths said receptacle, which is preferably made in the form of a trough that is open at b'oth ends, is provided 'with an adjustable side 33, which can be secured in a required position to suit the width of books to be folded. A guide-bar 34 is arranged near the side of the guide O, over the receptacle P, to prevent the books from falling over into the receptacle prematurely, and thereby the books will be delivered into the receptacle with their backs all turned in the same direction. The guide-bar 34 is attached to a bracket 35, secured to the table A. The latter, which is cut away over the receptacle l), has its edge 'at the side of the latter formed at an angle, as shown in Fig. 8, which in.

clines outwardly from the inclination of the guide O, the diiference of inclination being given for the purpose of giving the back of the books an outward movement toward the adjustable side 33, and so that all the books will fall into the 'receptaele l? with their backs turned in one direction.

n It should be understood that the feed-rollers 11 and 17, disks G 'and H, andpressing-wheels 31 form a continuous feeding mechanism that will feed the paper through the several parts of the "machine through which it is required to pass, and that said feed-rollers, disks, and pressing-wheels are arranged in such relation to each other that the sheets of paper will be grasped by the successive parts of the feeding 'mechanism as soon as it (the paper) is released by the other parts of said feeding mechanism.

My invention operates in the following manner: The sheets for theleaves of the books or pamphlets (and when the books or pamphlets are to be provided with flexible covers the material for the cover) are collated in the required number with the sheets for the covers at the bottom. These are placed onthe table A with Vone edge of each pile resting against theguide K. Then each pile is successively pushed inward until grasped by the feed-rollers 11 and 17, which feed the sheets to the disks G and I-I. The latter crease thesheets at their median line on which the fold is toA be made. From the disksG and H the pile of sheets is 4carri-ed under the blade L, whose lower edge will take in the crease of the sheets, and in their advance the sheets encounter the folders N,by`which the sheets will be turned up against the opposite sides of the blade L before they reachthe pressing-wheels 31. By the latter the sheets are pressed closely together along the fold-line, and the operation of folding is completed. On leaving the pressing-wheels the book, which emerges from said pressing-wheels with its back downward, will pass between the inclined guide O 'and the guide-bar 34 and, when entirely free from the pressingwheels, will slide downward on the inclined guide O, and, being d'eilected by the inclined edge of the table A, will be deposited ilatwise in the receptacle P, from whence the books can be readily removed.

IOO

IIO

1o crease in the sheets of paper, an adjustable blade, L, Which ranges in line with the disk G,

curved guides, N, adjustably arranged at opposite sides of the blade L and adapted to impart an up-fold to the sheets, and a pair of adjustable pressing-Wheels, 31, arrangedto press 1 5 the sheets of paper against the sides of the blade L, as and for the purpose specified.

HENRY A. MANN, JR. Witnesses:

L. HATHAWAY, WM. I-I. LOW. 

